Introduction:
There may be situations where you encounter timeout errors when attempting to access remote module registries due to a private or slow remote registry.
Terraform allows you to extend the default timeout using the TF_REGISTRY_CLIENT_TIMEOUT environment variable.
The process of extending the registry timeout to resolve errors like "Error accessing remote module registry." is described below.
Problem:
Error: Error accessing remote module registry
Failed to retrieve available versions for module "example" from tfe.mywebsite.com: net/http: request canceled (Client.Timeout or context cancellation while reading body).
This error means that the request to the remote registry was canceled due to a timeout.
Solution:
Extending the Registry Timeout
To increase the timeout for remote module registry access, an environment variable called TF_REGISTRY_CLIENT_TIMEOUT can be used. This variable allows users to define the maximum time Terraform should wait for HTTP requests to the module registry.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Follow these steps to extend the Terraform registry timeout:
1. Log into Terraform Environment: Start by logging in to your HCP Terraform or Terraform Enterprise environment.
2. Find Your Workspace: Locate the workspace where you're facing the timeout issue.
3. Access Workspace Settings: Click on the workspace to access its settings.
4. Edit Environment Variables:
a. In the workspace settings, navigate to the "Variables" section.
b. Hit the "Edit" button to create a new environment variable.
c. Add the following:
TF_REGISTRY_CLIENT_TIMEOUT
d. Click "Save variable" to keep the environment variable.
5. Queue a Plan: Trigger a new run for your workspace to apply the changes. This will set the TF_REGISTRY_CLIENT_TIMEOUT environment variable for this workspace.
6. Confirm the Changes: After the run finishes, Terraform should now utilize the extended registry timeout when connecting to remote module registries.